How to interview employees and contractors

We’ve all been through our share of job interviews. And while we may have some idea of how to interview potential employees or contractors, sitting on the other side of the desk might not be as easy as we’d like to think. After all, when tasked with the duty of screening a potential employee, you’re partly responsible for their performance once on the job. So, how do you go about interviewing new members of your team?

Don’t judge a book by its cover
When an applicant drops by, the first thing you’ll notice about them is how they look. Be careful not to make judgments about the character of the individual based on their appearances. You may miss out on the creative worker you were looking for.

Be fair and consistent
Use the same set of questions and criteria for all applicants. Remember to be fair, and not to let any personal biases skew the interview in one way or another.

Focus on their ability to do the job
Don’t be blinded by the amount of degrees a potential applicant may have. If they are unrelated to the job requirements, or if the applicant has some kind of severe deficiency in any area to do the job properly, it may not matter either way.

Know their quirks
Ask questions to know a little more about the potential employee. A highly qualified person may not be at all productive if he isn’t motivated, or if he doesn’t like the work environment. Ask a few questions about what motivates them, why they want to work and who they’re working for. You can gather insights on how well a fit the individual is for the company.

Ask for their insight
Question them about how much they know about the industry they’re applying for, what the company does, and what they can do for it. Their answers reflect much on the applicant’s enthusiasm. An eager applicant means that he/she will very likely be happy to work for you. Some very creative people shine through at this part of the interview.

When coming up with the questions, make sure they’re related in some way to the work they’ll be involved in. Ask around for any common problems that may come up during the selection process from people who’ve done it before. And lastly, ask the applicants or employee how long they see themselves working for you. After all, you went through all the trouble of selecting and training them. Make sure they stay for a while.